MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—The Mandaue City Council is still studying whether to implement or not the memorandum of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on COVID-19 vaccination policy.
City Councilor Nerissa-Soon Ruiz, the chairperson of the committee on health, said they received letters from the DILG-7, encouraging them to pass ordinances requiring COVID-19 vaccination for eligible population and other high risk groups and the no vaccination, no ride policy.
Ruiz said they are still studying whether to implement these or not.
“Kinahanglan gyud nato act-kan whether we go for it or not. Kinahanglan gyud studyuhan og maayo, pangitaan nato og paagi to come up with sakto nga rason unsa ato buhaton,” said Ruiz.
(We have to act on this whether we go for it or not. We have to study it well, find a way to come up with the right reason on what to do.)
DILG-Mandaue Director JohnJoan Mende, said the main purpose of this memo is to protect the most vulnerable in this fight against COVID-19.
Mende said the memorandum that was signed by DILG Secretary Eduardo Año was addressed to all provincial governors and city and municipal mayors.
“Despite the number of vaccines administered in the country, the COVID-19 virus remains to be a threat to the unvaccinated population. The continuous and prevalent threat of the COVID-19 virus causes prolonged economic stagnation and inconvenience the normal daily living of Filipinos. Given the foregoing, there is a need to expedite the vaccine roll-out of the local government units in their respective jurisdiction,” the memorandum reads.
Cited in the memorandum, the LGU has a duty to protect its citizens and promote health.
Ruiz said they need to weigh the two sides of the sensitive issue, the human rights and the general welfare clause.
Mende said there is no expressed deadline and that LGUs are only encouraged as they have the power over their constituency.
As of February 7, 2022, based on the Cebu Vaccination Statistics data, 92 percent of the Mandaue City’s eligible population have already received their first dose while over 81 percent are fully vaccinated.
/bmjo
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